Field of the Various Embodiments
The various embodiments relate generally to acoustics technology and, more specifically, to techniques for optimizing the fidelity of a remote recording.
Description of the Related Art
Oftentimes, remote recording devices include various microphones used to record, from a distance, acoustic audio signals associated with a performance. For example, a handheld recorder may include one or more microphones and may be configured to generate a stereo recording of the sounds received via the microphones during a performance. Typically, the stereo recordings captured by such remote recording devices accurately reflect the performances as perceived at the locations of the remote recording devices. However, since the microphones may pick up ambient noises such as crowd noise, wind noise, building noise, traffic noise, room reverberation, etc., the quality of the recorded signals may be relatively low.
In an attempt to improve the quality of the recorded signals captured by remote recording devices, some remote recording devices have been designed to include line-in inputs that enable the remote recording device to receive electronic audio signals. Typically, the electronic audio signals received by remote recording devices are relayed from a front of house console mixer that processes signals received via different “instrument” pickups (e.g., output of an electric guitar, on-stage microphones that target different speakers or singers, etc.). Notably, the electric audio signals received via line-in inputs are typically cleaner than acoustic audio signals. More specifically, since the electronic audio signals are relayed from the source of the sounds (i.e., the stage), the electronic audio signals are less likely to pick up ambient noise and may provide a “purer” version of the performance than the acoustic audio signals received via the microphones included in the remote recording devices. In operation, the remote recording device writes separate tracks for each of the acoustic audio signals and the electronic audio signals—recording the performance. Subsequently, a mixing application combines the recorded tracks to generate recording output signals in an effort to reinforce the desired sounds while reducing the negative impact of ambient noises, such as crowd noise.
One problem with mixing the acoustic audio signals with the electronic audio signals in the fashion described above is that the underlying content included in the two sets of signals may vary. For example, the instrument pickups and the front of house console mixer could be configured to amplify a singer but not a bass guitar. In such a scenario, the electronic signals transmitted to the recording device via the line-in inputs would include contributions from the singer but little or no contributions from the bass guitar. By contrast, the acoustic audio signals received via the recording microphones would include contributions from both the signer and the bass guitar. When the mixing application combines the two sets of recorded tracks to produce the recording output signals, the signer would be overrepresented in the mix and the bass guitar would be underrepresented in the mix. Consequently, the recording output signals would not properly convey the reality of the performance as perceived by the listener. Other discrepancies between the acoustic audio signals and the electronic audio signals may also further reduce the fidelity of the recording output signals. For example, because the microphones included in the remote recording device could be relatively far from the stage, the acoustic audio signals could exhibit a noticeable time lag relative to the electronic audio signals.
As the foregoing illustrates, more effective techniques for generating remote recordings of performances would be useful.